The Farewell in the Night
by daffodil7511
Summary: Spoilers for Season 5 finale. Booth and Brennan have one more night together before they say goodbye at the airport.


Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. Just having a little fun.

"_No. Things have to change. Know what? Hey, I taught you about eye contact. You taught me about evolution. So…here's to change."_

What a crock. Even though part of him knew that what he had said that day was true, the other part was wildly opposed to the idea of change. He didn't want anything to change. Things may not have been back to normal yet between them, but he felt in his gut that it was only a matter of time. The awkwardness between them was slowly easing, and she was becoming less careful around him, actually sharing her thoughts with him again. Sure, it had been difficult for a few weeks, what with their _dating_ other people, but Booth was convinced that they would be able to get past the uneasy tension that had hovered between them since _that night_. He was sure that they would go back to being _them_. That they would be the center again. Then she had to go and take that job in Mapoopoo or whatever. So he was left with going back to the army.

He wasn't even completely sure he wanted to be back on active duty. But the decision was made, the papers were signed, and his flight out scheduled for the morning. It was his last night as a civilian. He and Parker had spent the last two nights together, hanging out, and he had decided that it would be best to have this one last night to himself. It was already difficult enough to think about not seeing his son for the next year. This night would have been too much for him to handle, and he wanted Parker to remember his dad as brave, not crying as if his heart was breaking.

He and Bones had said their goodbyes a few days before. Fittingly, they had done so at the diner, with a quick detour around the reflecting pool afterward. It was like they were visiting _their_ places one last time before they left. As was always the case with Bones, the goodbye was quick, practical, and untainted by tears. The underlying sadness was there, but it seemed like she was trying very hard not to acknowledge it. It was as though if she did, the dam would break, and all hell would break loose. So he matched her mood, and her pace, and let her direct the evening. He smiled when he recalled how formal she became at the end of it.

He was in the middle of packing, which he did with as much enthusiasm as he did paperwork. A half-eaten meatball sub sat on his kitchen table, as he went through the few pictures he wanted to take with him. He knew he couldn't take too many, so he was carefully sifting through his second pile, singling out the ones he wanted, when he heard the soft knock on his door. It was 1AM. His heart rate quickened as he realized who it was. There was no one else who would come by at this time of night.

"Booth?" The knock came again. He walked quickly to open the door.

"Hey, Bones….what a great surprise." His smile faded as he took in her appearance. His usually meticulously put together partner was disheveled, her hair rumpled and windblown, her clothes looking as if they were thrown together in a hurry. And her face…..her eyes were red-rimmed, her cheeks flushed. She looked ill.

"Bones, what's wrong? Here, come in." He pulled her in, shut the door behind him. Leading her to the couch, he tried to think of possible catastrophic events that could have caused her to cry. Because she had been crying. That was clear enough.

She sat on his couch, trying her best to quell the shaking. He watched her take deep breaths to control herself, and felt a pang as her lips quivered with the effort. Her porcelain face calmed after a few moments, then she shifted her gaze to him. Her blue eyes looked stricken.

"I…." Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard before trying again. "I'm not sure what to say…." She shuddered visibly, and he had to stop himself from simply pulling her into his arms for a hug. He had a feeling she needed to get this out.

"I'm sorry, Booth….I shouldn't have come." She dropped her gaze, and her shoulders slumped.

"Whatever it is, Bones, you can tell me."

Her voice was soft. "Why are we doing this?" She looked back at him. "Please, tell me why we're doing this. Because I don't know anymore."

He couldn't come up with an answer. As he looked at her, he found himself wondering if he even HAD an answer. "Listen, Bones…you're going to discover something really great in Indonesia. I know you, you'll make history. Just like you did with that Egyptian guy. This is what you're meant to do, what you've always wanted to do."

Her eyes were sad, and tired. She looked very different from the woman who had broken the news of the discoveries to him just a short time ago. "Is it?"

"Are you having second thoughts? You don't want to go?"

She looked away again, bit her lip.

"Bones?"

He watched her take a deep breath, as if strengthening her resolve. Blue eyes met his. "I do want to go. I think...I think that I need to go. I just….I don't really…..I….." Her stammering was uncharacteristic. He waited, knowing that she would say what she needed to say. "I think that I need to…...evaluate my life here." _With you._

He understood. As if he heard her unspoken thought. "I understand, Bones. It's okay. I get it."

Relief filled her face, though the sadness in her eyes remained, and she relaxed. He reached up and touched her cheek, needing to comfort her, and smoothed away the auburn tendrils there. "I'll be here when you get back. We'll be fine."

A small smile touched her lips, and she leaned into his hand. "Thank you, Booth."

They sat that way for awhile, looking into each others eyes as they had done so often in the past, their silent communication perfect in that moment. He was going to miss this, this connection he had with her, this feeling. He wanted to remember this moment. He knew he would be thinking about this for the rest of the year.

She broke the silence. "I have something for you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pocket digital picture pad that looked like it was part of a key chain. "Angela and I put in some pictures of you and Parker, and, well…...us." A flush stained her cheeks as she continued. "There's a picture of all the squints, too."

Booth smiled. His heart soared in his chest as he thought about how much she had changed. She would never have thought to do this four years ago. "I was just going through my pictures to see what I wanted to take with me. Thanks, Bones. This is great."

"But you haven't even seen the pictures yet….."

"I know you, Bones, and I know you picked just the right ones." He smirked. "Especially if Angela was helping you."

She smiled back. It was the first real smile he had seen her give in a long time. It made him think that maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. Maybe they would survive the year intact. And maybe….

His thoughts were interrupted when she made a move to stand. "Where are you going?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "Home. I have to start packing myself if I'm to be ready by next week."

"Wait…can you stay?" He wasn't willing to let her go yet. Not now, when the ice was broken. It had been a very long time since she had smiled at him like that. And her gift, well, he remembered what she had said about social contracts.

She hesitated. He pressed his advantage. "Please? I know we said goodbye already and everything, but…" _I'm just not ready to let you go yet. _He stopped himself before he said that out loud. "I'd really like you to stay," he finished lamely.

It was true. He wasn't ready to let her go. If he had the choice, he would never let her go. But he understood that she needed time and space to think things through, to process recent events, to find her way to a logical, rational understanding of their partnership. He had gotten to know her very well in the last five years, and he knew how her mind worked. The night that he gambled, he knew that though she had made a decision to stay partners only, his overture had placed the idea of being a couple in her mind in a very concrete way. Now that it was out there, it could no longer be ignored or swept over.

She sat back down, and he took her hand. "Why don't you show me what you and Angela put together?"

Apparently, she felt that was safe enough, and grasped the digital photo frame to show him how it worked. As she explained the inner workings of the gadget, Booth sat back, fighting the urge to pull her close, and wrap his arms around her. Sensing that he was relaxing beside her, Brennan scooted closer, leaning her head against his, as they examined the pictures she selected. They sat there for awhile, each content. Tonight was theirs to share, one more time. Tomorrow, well, that would come soon enough.

THE END

**A/N: This is my first fanfic; in fact, my first creative effort in over ten years. Hope you enjoyed it. Would appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks for reading!**


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